Bear killed by police near downtown St. Paul

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- Police have shot and killed a bear that wandered into a neighborhood near downtown St. Paul.

St. Paul Police Department spokesman Howie Padilla says police received at least two calls about bear sightings in the Dayton's Bluff neighborhood just before 7:30 p.m. Saturday. He says officers shot the bear just before 8 p.m. Animal control officers took the bear's body away.

The area is south of Interstate 94 and east of downtown near the Mississippi River.

No people were hurt.

Police don't know how the bear got to St. Paul and haven't received any other recent reports of bear sightings in the city.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Create a More Connected Minnesota

MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.